The 36-year-old Croatian signed a new deal with the Spanish
club until June 2023 and will return to play alongside Toni Kroos and Casemiro,
the trio that helped Madrid win five Champions League titles in the last nine
seasons.
“Very happy to announce that I will continue playing for the
best club in the world,” Modric said on Twitter and Instagram. “I’ve been
fulfilling a dream for the last 10 seasons, and I remain with the same
excitement and desire from the first day.”
Posing in front of the 14 European titles won by Madrid,
Modric held a club jersey with his name and the number 2023.
Modric will be playing an 11th season with Madrid after
joining from English club Tottenham in 2012. He has helped Madrid win 20
titles, including three Spanish leagues.
Financial details were not disclosed. His current deal was
going to expire at the end of this month.
Madrid is keeping Modric but is already looking to refresh
its midfield, as Kroos is 32 years old, and Casemiro is 30.
Last season, Madrid signed 19-year-old Eduardo Camavinga
from Rennes, and now it is close to announcing an agreement with 22-year-old
Aurélien Tchouaméni from Monaco. Camavinga played often this season, as did
23-year-old Federico Valverde, who has been with the senior team since 2018.
Madrid saved money in recent transfer windows and is expected
to boost its attack after missing out on signing Kylian Mbappé, the young
France forward who preferred to stay at Paris Saint-Germain.
Gareth Bale and Francisco Isco are not staying with the
Spanish club next season, and Marco Asencio is also expected to leave.
To boost its defense, Madrid recently signed former Chelsea
central defender Antonio Rüdiger on a free transfer. It had added former Bayern
Munich central defender David Alaba last season. Veteran left back Marcelo is
leaving the club.
Madrid won a record-extending 35th Spanish league title this
season.